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Author Topic: U.S. crew regains control of ship hijacked by Somalia pirates
raybond
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-somalia-pirates9-2009apr09,0 ,5382232.story

From the Los Angeles Times
U.S. crew regains control of ship hijacked by Somalia pirates
The Maersk Alabama was transporting food aid to Africa when it was seized off Somalia. After 12 hours, the crew overpowered the pirates, according to U.S. officials.
By Edmund Sanders

10:45 AM PDT, April 8, 2009

Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya — The first pirate attack in more than 200 years against an American-flagged vessel off Africa didn't last very long.

This morning, a U.S.-registered cargo ship -- which routinely works under contract to the Defense Department -- and its all-American crew were hijacked by pirates off Somalia as it was transporting humanitarian aid to African nations.

Less than 12 hours later, the 20-member crew -- which was unarmed, according to the ship's owner -- managed to overpower the pirates and regain control, according to U.S. officials.

The dramatic turnaround is the latest chapter in the growing piracy crisis off Somalia, which has lacked a functioning government since 1991.

"The crew has taken back control of the ship," said a U.S. defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity. "There is still one pirate aboard."

According to the official, at least four pirates seized control of the ship, and the fate of other three pirates was unclear. They may have tried to flee in their own vessel, the official said. Another report by the Associated Press said the foiled pirates were "in the water."

The company that owns the ship said it could not immediately confirm that its crew was back in control. But Capt. Joseph Murphy, an instructor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, told the Associated Press that he was called by the Department of Defense and told the crew, including his son Shane, the second-in-command on the ship, had regained control.

Numerous vessels have successfully fended off or outrun pirate attacks in recent months, but the actions of the U.S. crew, if confirmed, marked a rare instance of seafarers overpowering pirates after a vessel was seized, maritime officials said. Pirates seized the Danish-owned ship around 7:30 a.m. as it moved about 240 nautical miles southeast of the Somalia port city Eyl in the Indian Ocean, according to U.S. naval officials.

The ship's owner, Norkfolk, Va.-based Maersk Line Ltd., is a U.S. subsidiary of Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk. The shipping giant is a longtime Pentagon contractor, according to security analyst firm Globalsecurity.org, operating vessels with "top security clearance." But the hijacked vessel, called the Maersk Alabama, was not sailing under a Defense Department contract at the time of the attack, according to company and U.S. military officials.

Maersk Chief Executive John Reinhart said the company's seafarers were well-trained to deal with the risks of piracy.

"We have ways to push back, but we don't carry arms," he said.

He said the ship was carrying humanitarian food aid "to Africa for people in need."

A spokesman for World Food Program confirmed that part of the ship's cargo was being ferried on its behalf, including 4,000 metric tons of corn headed for Somalia and Uganda, and 1,000 metric tons of vegetable oil earmarked for refugees in Kenya. It was expected to dock in the Kenyan port of Mombasa on April 16.

"Every indication is that this is the first time a U.S.-flagged ship has been successfully seized by pirates in this region," according to Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman from the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain.

According to Andrew Mwangura, head of the East African Seafarers Assistance Program in Nairobi, the last pirate attack of an American vessel by African pirates was reported in 1804, off Libya. "It's been a very long time," he said.

It remained unclear who seized the 17,000-ton vessel.

Over the past three years, Somali pirates have typically anchored hijacked vessels off the coast and negotiated ransoms between $1 million and $3 million. Last year, total ransom payments collected by Somali pirates are believed to have topped $50 million.

Among the recent high-profile attacks were ones on a Ukrainian vessel with 33 military tanks and a Saudi-owned tanker carrying $100 million worth of crude.

Most times, pirates do not appear to be targeting vessels based upon nationality or cargo, but they use navigational devices and electronic maritime databases to avoid capture, officials said.

U.S. warships, joined by several other foreign forces, have been patrolling the region since late last year, attempting to fill the security gap left by Somalia's weak transitional government.

At the time of the attack today, the closet U.S. warship was 300 miles away and unable to respond. "We are covering 1 million square miles," Christensen said. "It's a vast area, four times as big as Texas."

U.S. officials said the U.S. destroyer Bainbridge is en route to meet the ship.

More than 33,000 ships pass along the East African trade route each year.

edmund.sanders*latimes.com

Times Staff Writer Julian Barnes in Washington, D.C. contributed to this story.

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jgrecoconstr
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They shouldn't be hard to overpower their all malnourished. I'm suprised they would have the strength to pull the receiver back.
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glassman
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seems to me we need to send some "sucker" ships down there full of marines...

just let 'em float around in the area looking ripe for plucking....

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Pagan
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quote:
Originally posted by jgrecoconstr:
They shouldn't be hard to overpower their all malnourished. I'm suprised they would have the strength to pull the receiver back.

True....but it's those pesky AK-47's and RPG's they are carrying that make overpowering them a tad dicey.

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glassman
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True....but it's those pesky AK-47's and RPG's they are carrying that make overpowering them a tad dicey.


that's why we should send them a gift wrapped set of marines [Big Grin]

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Pagan
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quote:
Originally posted by glassman:
True....but it's those pesky AK-47's and RPG's they are carrying that make overpowering them a tad dicey.


that's why we should send them a gift wrapped set of marines [Big Grin]

That would be one helluva YouTube moment just to see their expessions! [Eek!]

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glassman
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what was the Steven Segall movie where he was the Captains bodyguard posing as a cajun cook?

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Happy Valley
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Under Siege...Casey Ryback was the azz kicking cook...lol
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Pagan
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quote:
Originally posted by Happy Valley:
Under Siege...Casey Ryback was the azz kicking cook...lol

I saw him not long ago and he has become quite the porker as of late. What happened to him? He looks all puffy.

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Lockman
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quote:
Originally posted by glassman:
seems to me we need to send some "sucker" ships down there full of marines...

just let 'em float around in the area looking ripe for plucking....

Of couse an action like that and Obama would have to cancel his trip to Somalia. lol

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glassman
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i didn't know Obama was planning on taking over Somalia [Confused]

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Lockman
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quote:
Originally posted by glassman:
i didn't know Obama was planning on taking over Somalia [Confused]

Just visiting some old friends. lol

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T e x
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quote:
Originally posted by Pagan:
quote:
Originally posted by Happy Valley:
Under Siege...Casey Ryback was the azz kicking cook...lol

I saw him not long ago and he has become quite the porker as of late. What happened to him? He looks all puffy.
ohhh-h-h-hh.hhhh.h..h.....
puh-leeze

Tommy Lee was in the same movie, as I recall...and he's like a cross between Dorian Grey and Keith Richards. If you're gonna make fun of them, well then leave Casey Ryback in the pantheon he deserves. [Razz]

I mean, c'mon...the microwave scene?

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raybond
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Pirates recapture U.S. captain after escape bid
Fri Apr 10, 8:31 am ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The American ship captain held by pirates on a lifeboat off Somalia tried to escape by jumping into the sea and swimming toward a U.S. warship, but was quickly recaptured, U.S. media reported on Friday.

Citing defense sources, CBS, ABC and CNN said Captain Richard Phillips, who is being held on a lifeboat adrift in the Indian Ocean, jumped overboard, but did not get far.

He was captured by the armed pirates and pulled back into the lifeboat, within view of a U.S. warship, they reported.

CNN said that U.S. officials believe Phillips was unhurt in the escape attempt.

Four pirates have been holding Phillips since a foiled bid to hijack his container ship, the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama, several hundred miles off Somalia.

Phillips apparently volunteered to get in the lifeboat with the pirates to act as a hostage and secure the safety of his 20 American crew members, who managed to retake control of their ship.

The freighter, which is carrying food aid for Uganda and Somalia, is now on its way to Kenya, its original destination.

The USS Bainbridge is close to the lifeboat and has called on the FBI and other U.S. officials to help negotiate with the pirates.

CNN said two more U.S. warships were on their way to join the destroyer.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle, editing by Eric Beech)

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The Bigfoot
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quote:
Originally posted by T e x:
quote:
Originally posted by Pagan:
quote:
Originally posted by Happy Valley:
Under Siege...Casey Ryback was the azz kicking cook...lol

I saw him not long ago and he has become quite the porker as of late. What happened to him? He looks all puffy.
ohhh-h-h-hh.hhhh.h..h.....
puh-leeze

Tommy Lee was in the same movie, as I recall...and he's like a cross between Dorian Grey and Keith Richards. If you're gonna make fun of them, well then leave Casey Ryback in the pantheon he deserves. [Razz]

I mean, c'mon...the microwave scene?

Steven Segall, Tommy Lee? They were in that movie? Gee the only person I can remember in that movie was Erica Eleniak. [Big Grin]

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Lockman
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Gotta give it up to the U.S. Navy SEALS and President Obama. They kicked some A$$ yesterday!

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Highwaychild
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Three shots, three kills, on Ships rocking up and down? Dem boyz gooood...
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glassman
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quote:
Originally posted by Highwaychild:
Three shots, three kills, on Ships rocking up and down? Dem boyz gooood...

they've been getting lots of practice...

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Highwaychild
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I got to give it up to Obama on this one too...
Kind of sends a message to the 'axis of evils' of the world as well.
This has got to boost morale for the ladies and gents serving.

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Highwaychild
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"...The three hostage-takers were observed with their heads and shoulders all exposed at once, said Vice Adm. William Gortney, commander of U.S. naval forces in the region.

Three shots rang out from the SEALs.

Three pirates were dead or rapidly dying.

Phillips was found safe, his hands bound. Back home in Burlington, Vt., Andrea Phillips sent the message to her husband that "your family is saving a chocolate Easter egg for you, unless your son eats it first."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now that's a happy ending...

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T e x
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Sgt. York?

gobble, gobble...

way to go, us

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raybond
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A good day for the white hats three up three down and now we take our place in the world I hope we keep the waters safe and blow thoes pirate ships out of the water.

All throughout history it always has been the current super powers job of keeping the sea safe Carthage,Rome,Spain,and England now it is our turn since the pirates said they were going to target Americans we should target them.

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raybond
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Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates(73BC) on his way to Rhodes as a young man he offered the pirates more than there original ransom to increase his political stature after he was relaesed as he promised his captures he came back with an army and killed them to a man most he curcified. That must have sent a message

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glassman
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quote:
Originally posted by raybond:
Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates(73BC) on his way to Rhodes as a young man he offered the pirates more than there original ransom to increase his political stature after he was relaesed as he promised his captures he came back with an army and killed them to a man most he curcified. That must have sent a message

That was Bush's reason for going back to Iraq too [Wink]


IMO? we should set up a force of 500 marines to put on any ships that will accept them as they enter the area. 200 to 250 to be on the water at any given time. Deploy them in groups of 8 to remain invisible until the pirates attempt to board, take no prisoners leave no boats on the water. No press releases, no news....

The marines can be shuttled to an from the ships as they leave or enter the area, either by chopper or small crafts. In a couple years the pirates will just be another part of history.

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Happy Valley
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US food aid ship escapes Somali pirate attack

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090415/ap_on_re_af/piracy

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